LRN Sportscast 11:40 October 22nd

The Saints 19-game home winning streak with Sean Payton on the sidelines will be tested this Sunday when the red hot Green Bay Packers come to town. Green Bay has won four in a row after a 1-and-2 start. Saints Safety Kenny Vaccaro says it’s the type of challenge the Saints need…
cut 19 (06) “….bounce back”
Green Bay beat Carolina 38-17 last Sunday. In that game, Aaron Rogers was 19 of 22 for 255 yards and three touchdowns.

Last night in Lafayette…the Ragin Cajuns rushed for 419 yards in a 55-40 victory over Arkansas State. Elijah McGuire rushed for 265 yards and had four rushing touchdowns, whille Alonzo Harris had 107 yards on the ground and four rushing TDS. That’s three wins in a row for the Cajuns, who are now 3-and-0 in the Sun Belt and will not play again until November 1st against South Alabama.

The 24th ranked LSU Tigers go into Saturday night’s game against Ole Miss, looking to avenge last year’s loss to the Rebels. Ole Miss upset the Bayou Bengals in Oxford last season, beating the Tigers 27-24. LSU fell behind 17-0 in that game. If LSU falls behind again early, they could have trouble getting back into the game with the Tigers deficiencies in the passing game.

Louisiana Tech faces Southern Miss on Saturday. The two schools are trying to make this a rivalry game as it’s about a four-hour drive between the two schools. They are calling the matchup the Rivalry in Dixie game. The Bulldogs won last year’s meeting, beating the Golden Eagles 36-to-13.

The LSU men’s basketball team has been picked to finish fourth in the SEC this season. Sophomore Jordan Mickey is a first team All-SEC selection. Kentucky is the preseason favorite, ahead of Florida, Arkansas and then LSU.

LRN Sportscast 16:45 Oct 21

The two teams that shared the Sun Belt Conference crown last season meet tonight at Cajun Field in Lafayette as U-L-L hosts Arkansas State at seven o’ clock. Tonight’s game can be seen nationally on ESPN Two. Cajuns Coach Mark Hudspeth wants to see a big crowd, because it’s a game that can show the university in a positive light….
cut 17 (10) “…12th man”
The Cajuns easily beat the Red Wolves last season by the final score of 23-7.

Coach Les Miles is asking LSU fans to bring food to the game this Saturday against Ole Miss, so they will stay for all four quarters and be loud. Tiger Stadium has been less than half full for some second halves this season.

In Saints news…running back Pierre Thomas will reportedly miss two to three weeks because of a shoulder injury. New Orleans hosts Green Bay this Sunday.

Louisiana Tech’s Terrell Pinson has been named the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player fo the Week. Pinson had two interceptions, a fumble recovery for a touchdown and seven tackles in Tech’s 27-20 win over Texas San Antonio. The Bulldogs are at Southern Miss this Saturday.

In the Southland Conference….Southeastern Louisiana Quarterback Bryan Bennett is the conference’s offensive player of the week. Bennett rushed for a season-high 131 yards and three touchdowns in the Lions 41-24 win over Central Arkansas.

Northwestern State’s Tyler Roussel is the defensive player of the week. He had nine tackles and forced a fumble in the Demons upset win of Sam Houston State. Coach Jay Thomas on Roussel….
cut 30 (12) “…linebackers too”
The Demons are at Central Arkansas this Saturday.

LRN Sportscast 11:40 October 21st

Last year’s co-champs in the Sun Belt Conference meet tonight on national television as the Ragin Cajuns host Arkansas State. Both teams are 2-and-0 in league play this season. U-L Lafayette domianted the Red Wolves last season, beating them 23-7 in Jonesboro. Kick-off tonight is at seven o’ clock and Coach Mark Hudspeth wants to see a big crowd.

LSU’s Les Miles wants to see the 12th man involved in their game against third ranked Ole Miss this Saturday. Many fans tend to leave Tiger Stadium at halftime, but Miles wants the fans to stay late and make some noise. The Tigers go into the game as a three and a half point underdog.

Louisiana Tech is a nine and a half point favorite as they go on the road this Saturday to face Southern Miss. The Bulldogs are 3-and-0 in Conference USA. The Bulldogs have allowed only 44 points in those three conference games. Southern Miss is 1-and-2 in league play and they rank last in scoring in the conference, averaging 20 points a game.

The Saints are 2-and-4 and some in the Who Dat nation are putting part of the blame on Quarterback Drew Brees. The veteran signal caller’s interception in the late stages on Sunday set up Detroit’s game-winning touchdown. But Coach Sean Payton is defending Brees’ play….
cut 19 (16) “…are worries”
The Saints offense will reportedly be without running back Pierre Thomas for the next two to three weeks, because of a shoulder injury he sustained in the loss tot he Lions. New Orleans hosts Green Bay this Sunday.

In NA preseason action last night…the Pelicans beat the Washington Wizards 88-84. Anthony Davis had 14 points, before leaving the game with a minor wrist injury. The final preseason game is Thursday against Dallas, which will be played at the CenturyLink Center in Bossier City.

16:45 LRN Sportscast Monday Oct 20

Tiger Stadium should be rocking on Saturday night when the 24th ranked Fighting Tigers host the third ranked Ole Miss Rebels. LSU is coming off a 41-3 victory over Kentucky. Fresham safety Jamal Adams looks like a star in the making. He had eight total tackles against the Wildcats and a sack. Adams says the players on defense have bought into the game plan…
cut 19 (11) “…as a team”
Can LSU’s offense put some points on the board on Saturday? That will be a big question as the Rebels are allowing only ten points a game.

In the latest FCS Top 25 poll….Southeastern Louisiana is still ranked eighth, while McNeese State is 11th. The Lions and Cowboys are coming off victories at home. This Saturday McNeese is at Incarnate Word and S-L-U is at Stephen F Austin.

Louisiana Tech is 3-and-0 in Conference USA heading into Saturday’s game against Southern Miss. The Bulldogs are coming off a 27-20 victory over Texas San-Antonio. Tech trailed 10-to-6 at halftime, but the game turned when senior linebacker Terrell Pinson had a two-yard fumble return for a touchdown. Tech scored two more quick touchdowns and Coach Skip Holtz says that was the difference in the game…
cut 30 (14) “….it was huge”

A huge loss for the Saints yesterday as they lost to Detroit 24 to 23. New Orleans led by 13 late in the fourth quarter, but Detroit hit on a long touchdown pass and Quarterback Drew Brees threw an interception that set up the game winning score. Some fans are wondering if Brees is still an elite quarterback in the NFL, but Coach Sean Payton said today that number nine is the least of their worries.

LRN Sportscast 11:40 October 20

It’s a tough day for Saints fans, who saw their team blow a 13-point lead in the final minutes and lose 24-23 to the Detroit Lions. Quarterback Drew Brees threw for 342 yards and two touchdowns. But was picked off with just over three minutes left and that interception set up Detroit’s winning score. Brees believes the 2-and-4 Saints can rebound from this heartbreaking loss…
cut 16 (12) “….find a way to win”
The Saints were penalized 12 times yesterday for 134 yards. Afterwards, Coach Sean Payton said he wasn’t pleased with how the game was officiated.

New Orleans native Peyton Manning now holds the record for career touchdown passes as he tossed four of them last night in Denver’s 42-17 win over San Francisco. Manning has 510 for his carer as he surpassed Brett Favre’s record of 508.

LSU’s defense was on its game in Saturday’s 41-to-3 victory over the Kentucky Wildcats. The Wildcats were held to 217 total yards. Sophomore middle linebacker Kendell Beckwith led the way with nine tackles….
cut 18 (08) “…on Saturdays”
LSU is getting ready to host third ranked Ole Miss. The Rebels have one of the top defenses in the country as they are allowing just ten points a game.

LSU comes in at number 24 in the latest A-P Top 25 poll. Four of the top five in the AP poll are from the SEC West. Mississippi State is number one, followed by Florida State, Ole Miss, Alabama and Auburn.

Archie Manning is taking a leave of absence from the College Football Playoff selection committee, because he needs surgery on his knee and will not be able travel for the meetings. That means the selection committee will have 12, instead of 13 members, choosing the four teams that will be part of the first playoff in college football.

AM LRN Newscall October 20

President Bill Clinton is scheduled to join Senator Mary Landrieu in Baton Rouge today to rally support for her campaign. Michelle Southern reports…

CUT 1 (32) “reporting”

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Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says auto theft in Louisiana has dropped 48% since 2007 which beats the national average of 34% in the same time period. Michelle Southern reports.

Cut 2 (30) “reporting”

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Customers at Chic-Fil-A locations in north Louisiana are now able to pay for their order with their mobile phone. Scott Carwile reports.

Cut 3 (31) “reporting”

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President Bill Clinton is scheduled to join Senator Mary Landrieu in Baton Rouge today to rally support for her campaign. Clinton’s visit comes the day before the early voting period for the November 4th election begins. Political analyst Clancy Dubos says it’s good for Landrieu that Clinton is stumping for her considering his popularity among the Democratic base…

Cut 4  (06)  “not that popular”

Landrieu is in a tight re-election battle with Republican challengers Congressman Bill Cassidy and retired Air Force Colonel Rob Maness. Both parties are sending “big guns” to the state for this Senate race. Republicans sent former presidential candidate Senator John McCain to campaign with Cassidy last week. Dubos says both parties know what is potentially at stake in this election…

Cut 5  (06)  “the national level”

This is Clinton’s second visit to Louisiana on Landrieu’s behalf during this election. Early voting begins tomorrow and runs through October 28th. Dubos says this is part of Landrieu’s last push leading up to election day on November 4th…

Cut 6 (12)  “to go vote”

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Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says auto theft in Louisiana has dropped 48% since 2007 which beats the national average of 34% in the same time period. Donelon credits the massive decline, in part, public outreach and initiatives by law enforcement…:

CUT 7 (10)  “rest of their lives”

Donelon says they’ve also been able to bust car thieves by using bait cars places in high risk areas that are equipped with monitoring equipment and cameras if they are stolen. He says also says technology has improved so that law enforcement now has the ability to read license plates as vehicles drive down the street…:

Cut 8 (11)   “is stolen”

Donelon says the license plate reader program has resulted in hundreds of apprehensions…:

Cut 9 (13)  “by a theif” 

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Customers at Chic-Fil-A locations in north Louisiana don’t have to worry about bringing in cash or a credit card because now you’ll be able to pay with your phone. David Benson is the local operator for the restaurants in Monroe and West Monroe and he says it all starts with downloading the Chic-Fil-A app…:

Cut 10 (11)  “pay for your meal”

Benson says people are slowly but surely catching on and using this method of payment to get their yummy chicken strips and nuggets. He says paying with your phone is more secure than using a credit card. All you have to do is load up whatever amount of money you wish on the app…:

cut 11 (10)  “financial institution”

Benson says when you’ve loaded money into the app, you simply hit the pay button and scan the account code at the register or in the drive-thru line and the money is deducted from the account balance. He says next year the company plans to roll out “mobile ordering.” Benson says Chic-Fil-A wants to stay ahead of the curve…;

cut 12 (12)  “no credit card”

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Senior linebacker Terrell Pinson should be named Conference USA defensive player of the week today based on his performance in Saturday’s 27-20 win over Texas-San Antonio. Pinson had two interceptions and had a fumble return for a touchdown. Head Coach Skip Holtz on Pinson’s big day

Cut 13 (19)  “came off turnovers”

The Bulldogs trailed 10-6 at halftime, but the game turned when Pinson had a two-yard fumble recovery for a touchdowns. Tech scored two more quick touchdowns and Holtz says that was the difference in the game

Cut 14 (14)  “it was huge”

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It appeared the Saints were on their way to a victory on Sunday in Detroit, but the Lions roared back with two touchdowns in the four minutes to beat New Orleans 24-23. New Orleans was in control for much of the game, but Detroit hit on a 73-yard touchdown pass with 3:38 left and couldn’t recover. Here’s what coach Sean Payton had to say after the game

Cut 15  (13)  “do it”

Quarterback Drew Brees threw for 342 yards and two touchdowns. But threw an interception with just over three minutes left that set up Detroit’s winning score. Brees believes the 2-and-4 Saints can rebound from this heartbreaking loss

Cut 16  (12)   “to win”

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After a two-week absence, The LSU Tigers are back in the Top 25 polls. The Bayou Bengals are ranked 24th in the AP poll, and 23rd in the coaches. LSU won easily on Saturday, 41-to-3 over the Kentucky Lions. Coach Les Miles says his team is getting better

Cut 17  (12)   “I promise you”

LSU’s defense was outstanding on Saturday night, holding Kentucky to 217 total yards. Sophomore middle linebacker Kendell Beckwith led the way with nine tackles

Cut 18 (08) “on Saturdays”

Freshman safety Jamal Adams looks like a star in the making. He had eight total tackles against Kentucky, including a sack. Adams says the players on defense have bought into the game plan

Cut 19 (11)   “as a team”

 

LRN Sportscast 16:45 October 15

Saints running back Mark Ingram was a full participant in practice today. So it looks like he’s fully recovered from that broken hand. Center Jonathan Goodwin was also a full participant at practice today, while tight end Jimmy Graham did not practice because of a shoulder injury. New Orleans is at Detroit this Sunday. The Lions have their injury issues as well. Running back Reggie Bush was limited because of an ankle injury, and Calvin Johnson did not practice because of an ankle sprain. Megatron has said he’s not playing until he feels great.

In high school football recruiting news…Catholic High running back and LSU committment Derrius Guice announced on twitter that he is re-opening his recruitment again. Guice is considered one of the top prospects in the state. So far this season, he’s rushed for nearly 800 yards and 13 touchdowns.

The SEC has released its football schedules for next season. ULM will begin the season at Georgia in 2015. LSU is at Alabama on November seventh.

The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame will induct a star-studded class next year that’s highlighted by former NFL players Kevin Faulk and Jake Delhomme. Chairman of the hall of fame, Doug Ireland,s ays the class also features former NBA point guard Avery Johnson of New Orleans, championship thoroughbred racing trainer Frank Brothers and former McNeese State standout Leonard Smith….
cut 18 (21) “…as a cornerback”

Good performance from the Ragin Cajuns defense last night as U-L Lafayette improved to 2-and-0 in the Sun Belt with a 34-10 win over Texas State. The Bobcats were held to 270 total yards and Christian Ringo had a 41-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown.

LRN Sportscast 11:40 October 15

The Ragin Cajuns had a nice performance on national television last night as UL Lafayette easily defeated Texas State 34-10. U-L-L got on the board right away as Terrance Broadway connected with running back Elijah McGuire on a 62-yard touchdown pass. Broadway threw for 225 yards and one TD.

The 2015 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Class has been announced. Former NFL players Kevin Faulk and Jake Delhomme highlight the eight-member class. Chairman of the Hall of Fame, Doug Ireland, says the class also features three coaching legends, Otis Washington, Pat Collins and Yvette Girouard….
cut 17 (21) “…like her”
The group will be inducted next summer.

The Saints are back on the practice field after a bye week. We should get a better idea later today when the injury report comes out on whether running back Mark Ingram will be able to play in this game. He’s been out with a broken hand. Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson is also a question mark with an ankle injury and may not play Sunday. The same could be said for Saints tight end Jimmy Graham, because of a shoulder injury.

LSU’s 2015 football schedule was released last night. The Tigers begin SEC play September 12th at Mississippi State. They’ll also travel to South Carolina October 10th and Alabama November 7th. The biggest home game could be September 19th against Auburn.

Louisiana Tech hosts Texas-San Antonio this Saturday in Ruston. Last time out, the Bulldogs scored 55 points in a blowout win over UTEP. Tech Quarterback Cody Sokul is confident the week off will not hurt their momentum…
cut 19 (5) “…move the ball”

LRN Sportscast 16:45

The Ragin Cajuns receive some national TV exposure tonight as they face Texas State in a game that will be televised on ESPN Two in San Marcos, Texas. Tuesday is an unusual day to play a football game, but Coach Mark Hudspeth says his team proved they can handle the unique situation….
cut 17 (16) “….for this game”
Both teams enter tonight’s game with 1-and-0 records in Sun Belt play.

LSU Coach Les Miles says its his hope quarterback Brandon Harris will get a chance to play Saturday against Kentucky. Miles says they wanted to get Harris on the field against Florida, but the opportunity never presented itself. Jennings is expected to start against the Wildcats. The last time he played in Tiger Stadium, he was booed off the field after committing three turnovers.

The 2015 Lousiaina Sports Hall of Fame Induction Class was announced today and it’s a star-studded group of individuals, led by LSU’s all-time leading rusher Kevin Faulk. Former Ragin Cajuns star Jake Delhomme is also part of the class, and so is former ULM football coach Pat Collins, ex LSU and Cajuns softball coach Yvette Girouard and NBA player and coach Avery Johnson, who is from New Orleans and played at Southern. They will be officially enshrined on Saturday, June 27th.

The SEC will announce conference football games for the 2015 season tonight at six P-M. And the league has also announced that Commissioner Michael Slive will retire next summer. He’s been serving in that position for 13 years.

The Pelicans make their first appearance in the Smoothie King Center tonight as they host Houston in preseason action. Tyreke Evans will not play tonight, as he continues to nurse a hamstring injury he suffered during an offseason pick-up game. Evans hopes he can play on Thursday.

LRN PM Newscall October 14

A group of Tulane scientists are working at a feverish pace to develop a finger-prick test to quickly determine if a patient has the Ebola virus. Jeff Palermo has the story….

CUT 1 (31) “reporting”

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People in the Monroe area are trying to pick up the pieces after severe thunderstorms rolled through the area Monday. Eric Gill has more…

CUT 2 (31) “reporting”

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A group of scientists at Tulane University are working  24-7 to develop a finger-prick test that could be used to quickly diagnose whether a a patient has the Ebola virus. Doctor Robert Garry says using a finger stick is a safer way to test for Ebola and they can get an answer in minutes

CUT 3 (07) ” 15 minutes”

Garry’s team received a two-point-nine million dollar grant last June to develop a speedy diagnostic test that health care workers could use. He says they are still in the testing phase, but getting close

CUT 4 (10)  “very promising”

Garry says for the federal government to allow the finger prick test to be used, they have to show its safe and doesn’t produce many false-positives. He says preliminary studies in West Africa are very promising, but it has come at the cost of human life

CUT 5 (10)  “this outbreak”

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People in the Monroe area are trying to pick up the pieces after severe thunderstorms rolled through the area Monday. The storms caused widespread damage and power outages throughout the area. Monroe resident, Jason Wegner, rode out the storm in his home. Wegner says as the wind began blowing harder, he heard a loud crash and his dogs yelping in the back yard…

CUT 6 (13)  “my living room”

Wegner says a tree destroyed his sun porch and part of it was sticking through the ceiling of his living room. Much of damage in Monroe is concentrated in the Garden District. Wegner says the Garden District features a lot of older trees…

CUT 7 (10) “down power lines”

According to the Monroe Police Department, there have been no reports of serious injuries. Wegner says this is a reminder that this type of weather damage can happen anywhere…

CUT 8 (06) “something everywhere”

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Fire officials are investigating an early morning trailer fire in Thibodaux that claimed the lives of two people. State Fire Marshal Butch Browning says the fire department responded to the fire at around one o’clock this morning…

CUT 9 (10)  “on the scene”

The names of the victims have not been released, but Browning says the male victim was 70-years-old and the female victim was 64-years old. He says when fire fighters arrived, about 75 to 80 percent of the trailer was in flames…

CUT 10 (10)  “dead-end street”

Browning says, at this point, their investigation has not confirmed the presence of smoke alarms in the home. He says there has been an uptick in fire deaths in the past few weeks. Browning says that’s troublesome since we haven’t gotten into winter, yet…

CUT 11 (09) “in your home

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Governor Bobby Jindal has sent a letter to the White House urging the President to restore funding that helps provide free funerals for military veterans. Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary David LaCerte says the Obama administration is in charge of allocating the across the board cuts. He says the National Guard’s ability to perform honor detail for military veterans who have passed will be severely impaired…:

CUT 12 (13) “right thing to do”

LaCerte says many families will be severely impacted as a funeral service for a veteran is a powerful and symbolic gesture that our nation can provide….:

CUT 13 (10) “can do”

In the letter Jindal states that 1,100 military funerals were performed by the Louisiana National Guard last year and the cuts would bring that number down below 300. LaCerte says restoring funding for such ceremonies should be a top priority…:

cut 14 (12) “breach of trust”